Simon Stålenhag is best known for his 2d images and stories portraying sci-fi phenomena in mundane, hyper-realistic Scandinavian landscapes. He also does a lot of works in the US setting. His ‘Tales from the Loop’ project was ranked by The Guardian as one of the “10 Best Dystopias,” alongside Franz Kafka’s The Trial and Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca. Simon worked as concept artist and illustrator for both the film and computer gaming industry (Ripple Dot Zero, 2013).

All art in the game is of course done by Simon Stålenhag himself. Most of the art will be drawn from the pages of the Tales from the Loop artbook – many scenarios in the game are based directly on illustrations in the artbook – but the RPG will contain some new original art as well, including the cover image.

Simon has an astonishing style and real gift as a story teller. His worlds were long waiting for the worthy gaming and literary incarnation. Here’s a little description of the project.

Acclaimed scifi artist Simon Stålenhag’s paintings of Swedish 1980s suburbia, populated by fantastic machines and strange beasts, have spread like wildfire on the Internet. Stålenhag’s portrayal of a childhood against a backdrop of old Volvo cars and coveralls, combined with strange and mystical machines, creates a unique atmosphere that is both instantly recognizable and utterly alien.

Now, for the first time, YOU will get the chance to step into the amazing world of the Loop. With your help, we will be able to create a beautiful printed RPG book about the Tales from the Loop.

This game is our third international RPG, after the critically acclaimed Mutant: Year Zero and Coriolis – The Third Horizon. The lead writer is the seasoned Swedish game writer Nils Hintze, backed up by the entire Free League team who handle project management, editing, and graphic design.

Additional writing in the game will be done by the award-winning and best-selling game writer and author Matt Forbeck, with twenty-seven novels and countless games published to date. Matt will be writing the alternative US campaign setting (read more below).

All art in the game is of course done by Simon Stålenhag himself. Most of the art will be drawn from the pages of the Tales from the Loop artbook – many scenarios in the game are based directly on illustrations in the artbook – but the RPG will contain some new original art as well, including the cover image.

You can support the Tales from the Loop and grab your copy of the game here. So far the Kickstarter campaign has managed to gather almost $200k USD.